MCHRP - First Floor - East Wing Casting

on Nov 15th & 16th the First Floor East Wing slab casting was carried out (Lab, Pharmacy, ICU, Offices, Training room - 12,500 sq ft). This time of year (November until March) is the best working conditions for concrete pouring, no rain and milder temperatures.  This made for the smoothest major casting to date. The goal now is to complete the next three casting of this wing in just over a month per slab (35 days each).

 First Floor East - Day 1 Slab Casting

Site Overview - Nov 15, 2014

 Dr. Kelley, Les and Jon on the slab during the first day of casting

Nearing completion - quickly becomes congested with all the labors

Beautiful sunrise through the heavy morning mist on day two

 The compaction vibrator operator splattered with concrete

Jon

India Part 3: Cherrapunjee Tree Root Bridges

For the last leg our India trip we traveled through Northeast India on our way to the Bangladesh border.  The highlight was visiting the Cherrapunjee area in the District of Meghalaya, one of the wettest place on Earth (it holds records of most rain in a single month - 9,300 mm and single year - 26,461 mm).  The Khasi tribal people make up the majority of the population of Meghalaya and are a matrilineal society (females inherit land and children take on the mothers name). Christianity is also prevalent in the region.  What drew us to the Cherrapunjee area was the amazing tree root bridges that have been grown here by locals for hundreds of years.  We had a fun day of hiking and exploring.  It was an interesting place to experience and an enjoyable way to end the trip.   

Holly on one of the tree root bridges 

 Jon on the longest tree bridge (95 ft)

Butterflies were Plentiful

Rock Pools

Nohkalikai Falls (highest waterfall plunge in India at 1115 ft)

Looking down on the plains of Bangladesh 

 Double Tree Root Bridge

 I named her Charlotte (but haven't found the actual species name yet)

Holly

East Wing Progress

The East Hospital wing is now well underway with the ground floor slab completed and the first floor slab shuttering and reinforcing work nearing completion (slab casting first of next week).

East Wing first floor shuttering and steel reinforcing work

Site overview - November 9, 2014

The OPD waiting wing ground floor casting was completed this past week.

OPD waiting area - slab on grade casting

OPD waiting slab casting

Interior construction continues on the West Wing with ongoing brick work, lintel casting and ceiling plaster work.

West Wing - 3rd Level - Ceiling Plaster work

Completed ceiling plaster and lintel casting

Jon

Two Years in Bangladesh

Holly and I have just passed the two year mark here in Bangladesh yesterday. We arrived to the crazy Dhaka airport (with thousands of hajj pilgrims) on November 5, 2012. It has been an interesting and exciting period getting this new hospital project up and running. There has been many challenges that seemed larger than we could handle over this journey, thankful we know the God who is in control of all. Our original term ended at the two year mark, however no new project managers have stepped up as replacements for Holly & I. We have recently agreed to stay on for the remaining structural works (approximately the spring) or suitable replacements can be recruited. Thank you to all those who have been praying and supporting us and the work here in Bangladesh.

A few photos of the project's progression over these past two years:

 Original project rendering upon arrival
(November 2012)

Updates after value engineering
(April 2013)

 

Site prior to construction - demo & clearing

(February 2013)

Cleared site with ongoing piling works

(July 2013)

Basement works - East wing foundations

(January 2014)

Ground floor casting

(March 2014)

  

First floor cast - Second floor shuttering

(June 2014)

Second floor cast - Third floor shuttering

(August 2014)

Completed West wing casting -Interior brick wall installation ongoing

Ground floor East complete - First floor shuttering

(October 2014)

Jon Barrett